🌟She's Special🌟

Unfair Circumstances & Motherly Battles

Sunday, December 22nd (9:30 AM) (Garden City, Long Island, New York)
"Hey Noah, we gotta do our thing," Bella said.
"What time is it?"
"9:30 on the dot."
"Oh shoot! Let's go!" Every year before Christmas, Bella and I love to do a marathon of holiday movies. We start at 9 in the morning and go on until 9 at night. Mom swore we had issues because we used to cry every time she'd tell us to take a break from the tv or take a bath or go to bed.
"Did you make popcorn?"
"Yep. Two bowls. Extra buttery. One bowl with M and M's one bowl without."
"Morning, Noah, and Bella. You guys okay?"
"Yeah, we're good Mom," I replied.
"Oh no.. not the movie marathon!"
"Yes. The movie marathon." Bella replied.
"We were wondering if we could get catered lunch, we'll be pretty occupied for the next few hours."
"Last time I checked, I have a 13 and a 14-year-old who are capable of making themselves something to eat. Funny thing, the thirteen-year-old made fajitas for dinner last night, maybe she can have those again. Or maybe she doesn't believe in the power of leftovers." We laughed. Bella's fajitas were really good. She's a good cook.
"I think the 13 and 14-year-old can manage," I said.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to the mall to pick up some things I ordered, and then I'm going to come back here so we can go out for dinner with some friends. When I get back inside I need you guys showered and dressed."
"Chores on holiday break?!"
"I didn't know hygiene was a chore."
"Leaving the house on marathon day is strictly forbidden."
"You guys can stay home for dinner, but, there's some clean-"
"Oh no, that's okay! We'll be dressed and ready!"
"Thank you! I'll be back for 6!"
************
Home (Garden City, New York) (Bella's Perspective)
I just got back from having dinner with some family and friends. It was pretty okay. I didn't eat much, and I kind of just tried to get through it. I have some stuff on my mind. Anna said that if anything happened between me and someone that I could tell her. And, I've kind of been wanting to talk to an adult, but I don't feel comfortable sharing with my therapist. I want some opinions on the whole thing. I was considering telling Anna and Alex. But I'm scared one of them will tell my Mom. If Mom knows, she's gonna tell Elliot, and if he knows I almost kissed a boy he's not going to be upset, but he's not going to be happy either. It's all weird. I just wanna talk to someone who has more experience. I feel trapped almost like I want to talk about it, but I don't know who, and how, and I feel like I'm blowing things out of proportion! No, it's the anxiety speaking. Don't give it power! Don't give it power!

Dear Diary,
What do you do when you don't know who to open up to?

That's a very good question. Maybe I can tell both Anna and Alex. Maybe they can help me understand why I wish I'd done..something.
*************
East 74th Street (Manhattan) (Tuesday, December 24th) (Leia's Perspective)
I looked at my fairy clock. It's 7:30 in the morning. But it's kind of noisy. Mommy and Daddy are talking about something. I wonder why they're up so early on a holiday! Well..not holiday yet! But still! I brushed my teeth and walked down the hallway to my parent's room. I knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
"Leia."
"Come in, darling." I walked inside and my parents were dressed up.
"Where are you going?"
"Well, good morning to you too pumpkin."
"Morning, Mommy and Daddy."
"We're going to work." Work?
"But it's Christmas Eve."
"It won't be long."
"But we gotta make cookies guys! Hello, Santa needs his cookies so he can go to every kid's houses and give 'em presents. They're his carbohydrates because they give him energy!"
"Someone's sassy before 8 AM. I don't know how to feel."
"She makes a good point. Leia, Lucy will help you make the cookies and you can decorate them and show me then when I come home."
"But it's not the same! It's not the same! It's not fair you gotta work!" She said sadly.
"Honey, sometimes..life isn't always fair, you can't control things, or change things, and... it just isn't fair. Sometimes you have to make the best out of the situation you were given." Mommy said while putting me on her lap.
"I know it's sad, but we can't control when things happen, and Daddy and I explained to you how our jobs are. We'll be home before you know it."
"You guys always make promises and never keep them!" I went to my bedroom and cried. I hate, hate, hate, my parents' stupid job!
**************
The Dining Room (7:30 PM) (Olivia's Perspective)
"What's going on here?" I asked as I put my stuff down. Elliot was in the kitchen cooking, Noah was helping, and Bella was decorating the dining room, setting the table and all. I smiled as my family all pitched in to make this even more special.
"Christmas spirit," Noah answered.
"What are you making?"
"Bella told me about this recipe she learned from school. What was it again, sweet pea?"
"Stuffed chicken. We had to make it for class, Jessica and I got an A on it!"
"That sounds amazing. I can't wait to try it." But something wasn't right. Something was missing. And, I knew exactly what it was.
"Where's Leia?"
"Leia's in her room. She hasn't left it since you guys went to work."
"Oh, dear. Alright, I'll shower and change and get her down here for dinner." I went to her bedroom.
"Leia?" She was playing on her iPad.
"I'm angry with you." I pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Okay..so let's talk about it. Why are you angry?"
"Because you went to work."
"But Leia, we don't have a choice. Mommy and Daddy have to work to pay for the house, bills groceries."
"But, I miss you. You missed my show and tell my winter party, and the potluck! Everybody else's parents came."
"I thought you said you didn't want me to go to those. That's what you said when I didn't come after I tried to."
"I said it because I thought it'd make you come to the next one!"
"Oh, sweetheart, I didn't know. I'm really sorry." I ushered for my six year old to come and she sat in my lap quietly.
"I'm sorry, I truly didn't know it made you this upset."
"It's okay, don't cry Mom." She wiped my eyes.
"But you know what?"
"What?"
"Christmas is for spending time with your families, so I promise, I'll be home tomorrow and for a couple more days as well, and we can do whatever makes you feel happy."
"We can read books?"
"Yes, and we can color, watch movies, bake, all of that."
"Okay, I feel better." I hugged her.
"Daddy's making dinner, so why don't we go and see what he's doing down there?" She smiled.
"Don't tell Daddy, but I like your cooking a little more. Just a little."
"I won't tell. Atta girl."
***************
8:30 AM (Christmas Day) (Bella's Perspective)
"Bella! Bella! It's Christmas!" Leia sat on top of me.
"Merry Christmas boo."
"Go brush your teeth and fix your weird hair. We gotta pray, and open presents and stuff!" She followed me into my bathroom and watched as I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and fixed my hair since Mom most likely wants to take a million photos of us in our matching pj's. We went downstairs where I told everyone else Merry Christmas.
"Come on, let's pray and go through these presents." There were quite a bit under the tree. I put some under there for my parents, and my siblings too. I put them there last night.
"Mommy, why are there 4 extra presents under the tree?"
"I don't know, who are they for?"
"Me, you, Daddy, and Noah." I smiled softly. Leia handed them out.
"Let's see what Bella got us." I put lots of thought into my presents. Leia got a Polly The Fairy Doll, Noah got a gift card for his PS5. Elliot got a picture collage for his desk, along with a handmade 'Best Dad Ever!' pin and sweater. I got my Mom a necklace with a picture of us inside of it. One of my super artsy friends, Janelle Morales, made it for me. I watched as everyone opened their gifts. They all looked pretty happy.
"Finally a gift card!"
"My own Polly! Look, it's gonna go with the other ones!"
"Finally, a child who appreciates me."
"This necklace is so sweet. I love this picture of us."
"Welcome," I said quietly. We opened the rest of our gifts. I got new clothes, new headphones, LED lights for my room, a custom tie-dye sweatsuit, perfume, bath bombs, lip gloss, new earrings, a bracelet, anklets, and 3 new pairs of shoes! This Christmas feels so different. It's the first one since Elliot and Mom have gotten married, and I don't know, it makes us feel ten times closer, I think me being a teen makes it different too. But, this isn't a bad kind of different, it's good. I like it.
"You guys have been spoiled!" I got tons more awesome gifts in my stocking. Overall, the gifts were awesome, giving them was awesome, and I loved spending time with everyone while opening these presents. But now I was tasked with helping to make breakfast, which is so tiring I don't know how Mom did it when we were younger all by herself.
"Oh wait! There's one more thing!" Mom grabbed the box from the closet and handed it to me.
"Shipped from California?!" I smiled. I opened the box.
Dear Bella,
I'm so sorry I didn't stay for Christmas, but I hope that this present can make up for it! I know how much you love to indulge in clothes shopping, and makeup too. (Just don't tell your Mom we talked about that!) So, I put together this box for you! Merry Christmas, and Happy Belated Birthday!

"I wonder what's in here." Elliot, Noah, and Leia went into the kitchen to start the cooking, it was just Mom and me. They volunteered to do it so we could relax. Inside the box had 3 pairs of super cute Mom jeans! Two ripped, one regular. These cute cropped, regular, and long-sleeved tees, two gift cards, one for forever 21, one for Hollister, and finally a perfume set.
"That's basically your dream box." Mom said.
"Yeah! I'm gonna call and tell her thanks before bed today." I went and sat next to Mom.
"Look at you, snuggling with me. I thought you were a teenager."
"We're not discussing it, just appreciate that it's happening Mom." We both laughed.
"Sure, whatever works for you."
************
Christmas Dinner (Olivia's Perspective)
It was certainly a full house, family and friends galore.
"Dad, you're the one that ruined the project!"
"Look, you asked for help."
"Exactly..for help! Not for me to have a ruined project after." We laughed at their banter and I ate my salad. Bella was to the right of me and holding Taylor, Maureen's daughter.
"Do you want some?" She nodded.
"It's yummy?"
"Yeah!" Taylor refused to be with her parents, she only wanted to be with Bella.
"She loves me! She's so cute!" I love witnessing Bella be kind to others. It's so great to see.
Maria: When is Bella coming to my house? I have a present for her. I didn't even get to be a part of my daughter's 13th birthday Liv. I deserve to have a part in her life. This isn't right.

Maria had some serious nerve texting me and trying to see Bella on Christmas. She doesn't have custody, and never will. So I don't get why's he's trying to make arrangements with me as if she does. She leaves a four-year-old girl to be raped by several men and suddenly cares so much. She "didn't even get a part to be of her daughter's 13th birthday." Seriously? Let's talk about the 8 other birthdays she's missed. Let's talk about the times I've had to console Bella when she felt worthless because Maria abandoned her when she wasn't even 5 years old, Bella coming to me and telling me she's stupid, and a mistake. So this person, this woman, who's caused her all of this pain shouldn't be saying a damn thing, trying to make herself the victim.

"Mommy, I was a mistake." My 8-year-old said.
"Who told you that? Who said that?!" I said while comforting her.
"Other Mommy."
"That's not true. You're not a mistake."
"Yes, I am. Mommy's are the ones that hold babies in their belly, so maybe she didn't mean to have me in her belly. It was probably an accident."
"Bell, don't say that. Don't ever say that about yourself. You were meant to be here."

"Excuse me, guys. I'll be right back."
"Okay! Don't go too long Mom, I have a story to tell!" Bella said with a big grin.
"I won't be. Sorry about this, guys." I went upstairs to our bedroom. I called Maria.
"Liv?"
"Please, don't Liv me. Bella isn't coming over, we're having Christmas dinner."
"We're supposed to have an agreement."
"Exactly what agreement? We handled this outside of court. You gave away your rights to Bella years ago. Bella visiting you is on her terms, considering you're partially to blame for her trauma."
"Here we go again. You're probably why she doesn't want to see me." I started to get angry. I was very angry, like the time when those girls bullied and physically hurt Bella at her gym.
"Who are you to be so insensitive?!"
"You're the one feeding her all of this crap that you think about me."
"Definitely not. I'm Bella's voice and her protector. Bella has had no genuine interest in seeing you, she's told me that on her own. I'm not saying anything that Bella hasn't said herself. Whether it be to me, to her mentor, or to anyone else that has know what she's been through. Though she hates you, as she said, she still feels the need to please you. So don't try to ruin the little time you have with my daughter. When I found out what you were doing, I considered moving schools, she begged me not to and to be kind to you. So don't. Don't go there, because you will not like what I have to say. If you want to see Bella, ask her if she wants to go. She's downstairs, you text her and ask."
"I certainly will." The phone cut out.
"Liv?" I turned around.
"Liv, what's wrong? What's wrong?" Elliot gave me a hug.
"Maria is starting her bull shit again."
"What did she say?" I showed him the message.
"I don't get it. I understand Bella's her kid, but she can't be speaking to you like that, as if you're less than, and you don't deserve to have her. From a legal standpoint, you have a good case."
"We handled this outside of court El."
"I know. I'm just saying. I'll deal with it."
"You don't have to."
"No, I have to. I'm calling a lawyer." I put my head onto my knees. I heard our bedroom door open.
"Mom? Dad?"
"What's wrong?" Elliot asked.
"I need to talk to you guys. Why is Maria asking me to go to her house?!"

To be continued~